30 Days with Microsoft’s Surface Pro 2: It’s a Keeper

We’re keeping it. That’s the verdict my wife and I had on Microsoft’s Surface Pro 2 just before the 30-day return window lapsed. A month after buying Microsoft’s workhorse laptop-tablet hybrid, we both felt that it fit well into our daily routines–even more than other devices that lean toward the laptop side of things. We also found a few issues that occasionally make us want to tear our hair out. Most of them are fixable, so here’s hoping Microsoft is listening. Let’s start with the good stuff: It’s a Better Tablet Than I Was Expecting It’s no iPad Air in terms of comfort, but the Surface Pro 2 is as good of a tablet as it gets for something that also tries to be a laptop. That’s entirely because of the kickstand, which keeps you from having to hold the two-pound device up with your hands. I enjoyed folding the Type or Touch Cover underneath the kickstand and propping the tablet up on my legs or stomach so I could quickly switch back to laptop mode as needed. Windows does have a tablet app deficiency, and the Surface Pro 2′s ability to run desktop programs doesn’t really make up for it. Games are a major weak point, as you won’t get titles like Year Walk or Hundreds that are really pushing forward with touchscreen game design. Still, I’d say 90 percent of my non-gaming tablet use comes from Twitter, the browser, Reddit and reading apps. The Surface Pro 2 covers the bases for me, especially with the recent arrival of Flipboard. And my gaming needs are met in other ways, as explained below. It’s Good Enough for PC Gaming Video games have a way of winning me over. After my first weekend with the Surface Pro 2 was spent playing Fallout: New Vegas while watching football in the living room, I was feeling a lot better about the purchase. One time I got freaky and played Torchlight 2 using the stylus in place of a mouse. It was cool, and I’m thinking